Method and apparatus for providing biometric information

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for providing information are provided. The method includes measuring biometric information corresponding to a health condition of a body part of a user, determining a visual metaphor representation for characterizing a degree of the health condition based on mapping information between components of the visual metaphor representation and types of the measured biometric information, transforming, by a processor, the measured biometric information into the determined visual metaphor representation, and providing the transformed visual metaphor representation.

PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/871,291 which was filed in the United States Patent and TrademarkOffice on Aug. 30, 2010, and which claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(a) to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0080723, filed on Aug.28, 2009, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contentof which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus forproviding information, and more particularly, to a method and apparatusfor providing biometric information.

2. Description of the Related Art

As the number of people in poverty has been significantly decreasing andstandards of living have been increasing, interest in health has beenincreasing. Accordingly, measurement and management of physical healthstatus has become increasingly commonplace, regardless of age.

In particular, older people periodically measure their physical healthstatus through health screening and understand their physical healthstatus by examining numerical data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for effectivelyproviding biometric information.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of providinginformation is provided. The method includes measuring biometricinformation corresponding to a health condition of a body part of auser, determining a visual metaphor representation for characterizing adegree of the health condition based on mapping information betweencomponents of the visual metaphor representation and types of themeasured biometric information, transforming, by a processor, themeasured biometric information into the determined visual metaphorrepresentation, and providing the transformed visual metaphorrepresentation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus forproviding information is provided. The apparatus includes a measuringunit and a display unit. The measuring unit is configured to measurebiometric information corresponding to a health condition of a body partof a user, a processor configured to determine a visual metaphorrepresentation for characterizing a degree of the health condition basedon mapping information between components of the visual metaphorrepresentation and types of the measured biometric information, andtransform the measured biometric information into the determined visualmetaphor representation. The display unit is configured to provide thetransformed visual metaphor representation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent by describing in detail embodiments thereofwith reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for providing information,according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a table used by the apparatus of FIG. 1 to process biometricinformation, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a table used by the apparatus of FIG. 1 to process biometricinformation, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an example of an image displayed by the apparatus of FIG. 1,according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an example of another image displayed by the apparatus of FIG.1, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a table used by the apparatus of FIG. 1 to display biometricinformation, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an apparatus for providing information,according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a table used by the apparatus of FIG. 7 to display biometricinformation;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing information,according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing information,according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention areshown.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus 100 for providing information,according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus 100 includes a measuring unit 110, aprocessor 120, and a display unit 130. The measuring unit 110 measuresbiometric information of a user. The biometric information may includeany information about a user's body. For example, the biometricinformation may include at least one information item selected from agroup including of blood pressure, pulse, electrocardiogram, heart rate,skin surface temperature, respiratory amount, weight, height, bodymovement, electromyogram, perspiration, and skin response.

The measuring unit 110 may further acquire information about a measuredbody part, the biometric information of which has been measured. Forexample, if blood pressure is measured by attaching a sensor to one ofthe arms of the user, blood pressure information is used as thebiometric information, while the arm is the measured body part.

The processor 120 processes the biometric information. The biometricinformation measured by the measuring unit 110 is generally expressedthrough numerical data. The processor 120 enables the user tointuitively understand the biometric information expressed using thenumerical data by transforming the numerical data into another form,such as sight, hearing, or touch.

The processor 120 may process the biometric information based on a typeof the biometric information. If the biometric information is bloodpressure, the processor 120 may visualize the blood pressure as veinsand express the measurement of the blood pressure by using a degree ofexpansion or color of the veins. If the blood pressure is expressedusing numerical data, the user may not intuitively understand the statusof the blood pressure. However, if the blood pressure is expressed usinga degree of expansion or color of the veins, the user may intuitivelyunderstand the status of the blood pressure.

The processor 120 may process the biometric information based on themeasured body part. For example, if bone density is measured byattaching sensors to the fingers of the user, since the measured bodypart is the fingers, the processor 120 may visualize the bone density asfinger bones. Likewise, if bone density is measured by attaching thesensor to the chest, since the measured body part is the chest, theprocessor 120 may visualize the bone density as ribs.

The processor 120 may also process the biometric information furtherbased on profile information of the user. The profile information of theuser may include any information related to the user, including, age,occupation, mental age, height, and family relationships. Accordingly,the processor 120 may change an object as which the biometricinformation is visualized based on the profile information of the user.For example, such an object change may occur for children, who may berepulsed by visualizations of finger bones or veins, as described above.

The processor 120 may process the biometric information so that the usermay understand the biometric information by using sight, touch, hearing,or smell. A method of processing the biometric information to transferthe biometric information to the user by using touch is described hereinwith reference to FIG. 6.

The display unit 130 may display the biometric information on themeasured body part. For example, if the measured body part is one of thehands of the user, the display unit 130 may display finger bones on asurface of the hand of the user or on the sensor by using a laser or aprojector.

The display unit 130 displays the biometric information over image dataobtained by photographing the measured body part. The display unit 130may combine the image data corresponding with the measured body partwith the biometric information to generate new image data, or mayoverlap the biometric information and the image data by using a laser ora projector.

If several pieces of image data are obtained by photographing themeasured body part, a signal for selecting one of the several pieces ofimage data on which the biometric information is to be displayed may bereceived through an interface.

The apparatus 100 may further include a transmitting unit (not shown) ora receiving unit (not shown).

The receiving unit receives the image data from an external deviceconnected through a network to the apparatus 100. The apparatus 100 maybe connected through a wired network, such as Local Area Network (LAN),or a wireless network, such as High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)or Wireless BROadband (WiBro), to at least one external device (notshown).

The transmitting unit transmits the image data on which the biometricinformation processed by the processor 120 has been displayed to theexternal device through the network. The user may receive thetransmitted image data through a receiving device, such as a computer ora mobile phone, and understand his/her health status by using thereceiving device.

FIG. 2 is a table used by the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 to process thebiometric information, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, when bone density of the user is measured asbiometric information, the processor 120 visualizes the bone density asbones so that the user may see and intuitively understand the status ofhis/her bone density. At this time, the processor 120 may change a colorof the bones in order to indicate whether numerical data of the bonedensity is normal or abnormal.

The processor 120 may determine a type of bones to be visualizedaccording to a measured body part, the bone density of which has beenmeasured. For example, the processor 120 visualizes the bone density asfinger bones if the bone density is measured by attaching the sensor toone of the hands of the user, the processor 120 visualizes the bonedensity as arm bones if the bone density is measured by attaching thesensor to one of the arms of the user, and the processor 120 visualizesthe bone density as ribs if the bone density is measured by attachingthe sensor to the chest of the user.

FIG. 3 is a table used by the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 to process thebiometric information, according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 3, bone density of the user is also measured. However,in FIG. 3, an object as which the bone density is visualized is changedin consideration of the age of the user. For example, if the user is achild or another person who may feel repulsed by a visualization of abody part, the user may not prefer images of bones for a bone densityvisualization. In such a case, the processor 120 may visualize bonedensity as something that is not repulsive to the user.

Referring to the table of FIG. 3, if the measured body part includesfingers, for example, the bone density may be visualized as veins of aleaf, and if the measured body part is one of the arms, the bone densitymay be visualized as a log. Also, if the measured body part is ribs, thebone density may be visualized as umbrella ribs.

Bone density may be measured by attaching a sensor to a user's arm. Ifthe bone density is normal, the bone density may be visualized as asolid log, and if the bone density is abnormal, the bone density may bevisualized as a log with a hole. If the measured bone density is muchless than a normal bone density value, the measured bone density may bevisualized as a log having lots of holes, so that the user mayintuitively understand his/her status.

FIG. 4 is an example of an image displayed by the apparatus 100 of FIG.1, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, blood pressure may be measured by attaching asensor a hand of the user. Accordingly, in this example, the hand is themeasured body part and blood pressure is the biometric information.

The processor 120 visualizes the blood pressure as veins. If themeasured blood pressure is high, the processor 120 visualizes the bloodpressure as veins that are greatly expanded. However, if the measuredblood pressure of the user is a normal value, the processor 120visualizes the blood pressure as veins that are not expanded.

The display unit 130 directly displays the biometric information, whichhas been processed by the processor 120, on the hand of the user byusing the projector. More specifically, the display unit 130 displaysthe veins on the hand of the user. The user may intuitively understandthe status of his/her blood pressure by checking whether the veinsvisualized on the user's hand are expanded.

FIG. 5 is an example of another image displayed by the apparatus 100 ofFIG. 1, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, a status of a user's teeth is measured by an X-ray.Accordingly, in this example, the teeth are the measured body part, andthe status of the teeth the biometric information.

The processor 120 visualizes the status of the teeth as a worm. When, astatus of the teeth is worse than the example depicted in FIG. 5, alarger worm or a greater number of worms may be displayed, so that auser may intuitively understand the status of his/her teeth.

The display unit 130 displays the biometric information, which has beenprocessed by the processor 120, on an X-ray image obtained byphotographing the user's teeth.

If the status of the teeth of the user is unhealthy, for example, ifthere is a decayed tooth or the teeth are not well taken care of, a wormmay be added to the X-ray image of the teeth.

However, if the status of the teeth of the user is healthy, for example,if there are no decayed tooth and the teeth are well taken care of, amessage indicating that the teeth are healthy may be displayed by on theX-ray image of the teeth.

FIG. 6 is a table used by the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 to display thebiometric information in a case where the apparatus 100 transfers thebiometric information to the user by using a touch according to anembodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, the apparatus 100 measures blood pressure byattaching a sensor to an arm of a user, and displays an indication ofblood pressure according to a change in temperature and pressure appliedto the arm.

If the blood pressure of the user ranges from 100 to 120, no stimulus oronly a weak stimulus may be applied to the arm of the user. When nostimulus or only a weak stimulus is applied to the arm of the user, theuser may intuitively understand that his/her blood pressure is normal.

However, if the blood pressure of the user ranges from 120 to 140, astimulus having twice a magnitude as the stimulus applied when the bloodpressure is normal is applied to the user's arm and a temperature of thesensor is reduced to 25° C. The user may intuitively understand thathis/her blood pressure is abnormal by recognizing that the temperatureof the sensor has changed.

If the blood pressure of the user is greater than 150, a stimulus havingthree times the magnitude of the stimulus applied when the bloodpressure is normal is applied to the arm of the user and the temperatureof the sensor is reduced to a temperature lower than 20° C. The user canunderstand that his/her blood pressure is dangerous by recognizing thata stimulus applied to the arm of the user is large and recognizing thatthe arm is cooled by the temperature sensor.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an apparatus 700 for providing information,according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the apparatus 700 includes a metaphor determiningunit 710, a processor 720, and a display unit 730.

The metaphor determining unit 710 determines a metaphor through whichbiometric information is visualized. The metaphor determining unit 710may display a metaphor list to the user and the user may select an itemin the metaphor list.

The processor 720 visualizes the biometric information of the user as atleast one component of the metaphor. The processor 720 may visualize thebiometric information based on mapping information between the biometricinformation and the components of the metaphor. The mapping informationbetween the biometric information and the components of the metaphor aredescribed herein below with reference to FIG. 8.

The display unit 730 displays the biometric information that has beenvisualized by the processor 720.

FIG. 8 illustrates a mapping table between the biometric information andthe metaphor used by the apparatus 700 of FIG. 7 to display thebiometric information, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

For example, a user may select one of an airplane, a plant, and atraffic light as the metaphor. If the user selects the airplane as themetaphor, bone density may be displayed as a right wing of the airplane,blood pressure may be displayed as a left wing of the airplane, andobesity level may be displayed as a propeller. If the bone density isabnormal, the apparatus 100 may display the airplane as if smoke isrising up from the right wing of the airplane. The apparatus 100 maydisplay more smoke rising up from the right wing as the bone densityworsens.

If the user selects the plant as the metaphor, the bone density of theuser may be displayed as stems, the blood pressure of the user may bedisplayed as leaves, and the obesity level of the user may be displayedas fruits. For example, if the blood pressure is abnormal, the apparatus100 may display the plant as if the leaves of the plant are dry anddrooping downwards. In particular, the apparatus 100 may display agreater number of leaves drooping downwards as the blood pressureworsens.

If the user selects the traffic light as the metaphor, the bone densityof the user may be displayed as a red light, the blood pressure of theuser may be displayed an orange light, and the obesity level of the usermay be displayed as a blue light. For example, if the obesity level ofthe user is abnormal, the apparatus 100 may reduce the displayedintensity of the traffic light. More specifically, the apparatus 100 mayreduce the displayed intensity of the traffic light as the obesity levelof the user worsens.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing information,according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In step S910, biometric information of a user is measured.

In step S920, the biometric information is processed based on at leastone item selected from a group including a type of the biometricinformation, a measured body part, the biometric information of whichhas been measured, and a profile of the user.

In step S930, the biometric information is displayed on the measuredbody part or the biometric information is added to image data obtainedby photographing the measured body part. If a plurality of pieces ofimage data is obtained by photographing the measured body part, onepiece of the obtained image data on which the biometric information isto be displayed may be selected. The image data to which the biometricinformation is added may be transmitted to an external device through anetwork, and the user may directly understand the biometric informationby using the external device. The user may understand the biometricinformation by using sight, hearing, or touch.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing biometricinformation to a user, according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIG. 10, in step S1012, biometric information of a user ismeasured. In step S1014, information about a measured body part, thebiometric information of which has been measured, is acquired. In stepS1020, it is determined whether the biometric information is within anormal range. If the biometric information is within the normal range,the method proceeds to step S1032. Otherwise, the method proceeds tostep S1034.

In step S1032, the biometric information is processed so that the usermay intuitively know that the biometric information is normal. In stepS1034, the biometric information is processed so that the user mayintuitively know that the biometric information is abnormal. In stepS1040, the processed biometric information is displayed.

Various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented throughcomputer programs executed in general-use digital computers using acomputer readable recording medium. Examples of computer readablerecording mediums include magnetic storage media (e.g., Read Only Memory(ROM), floppy disks, hard disks, etc.), optical recording media (e.g.,Compact Disc (CD)-ROMs, or Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs)), etc.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedby the appended claims. Embodiments should be considered in descriptivesense only and not for purposes of limitation. Accordingly, the scope ofthe invention is defined not by the detailed description of theinvention but by the appended claims, and all differences within thescope of the claims will be construed as being included in the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of providing information, the methodcomprising: measuring biometric information corresponding to a healthcondition of a body part of a user; determining a visual metaphorrepresentation for characterizing a degree of the health condition basedon mapping information between components of the visual metaphorrepresentation and types of the measured biometric information;transforming, by a processor, the measured biometric information intothe determined visual metaphor representation; and providing thetransformed visual metaphor representation.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising generating, by the processor, an image in which thedetermined visual metaphor representation is reflected on an objectvisualizing the body part to identify the health condition, whereinproviding the transformed visual metaphor representation comprisesproviding the measured biometric information by displaying the generatedimage.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting thegenerated image to an external device through a network.
 4. The methodof claim 1, further comprising processing, by the processor, thebiometric information based on profile information of the user.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising adjusting, by the processor,strength of a stimulus applied to the body part based on the biometricinformation.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting animage in which the biometric information is to be reflected from among aplurality of images obtained by photographing the body part.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising receiving an image in which thebiometric information is to be reflected, wherein the received image isobtained by photographing the body part from an external deviceconnected through a network.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein thebiometric information includes one of electrocardiogram information,electroencephalogram information, stress level information, bone mineraldensity information, body mass index information, calories burnedinformation, and physical age information.
 9. An apparatus for providinginformation, the apparatus comprising: a measuring unit configured tomeasure biometric information corresponding to a health condition of abody part of a user; a processor configured to determine a visualmetaphor representation for characterizing a degree of the healthcondition based on mapping information between components of the visualmetaphor representation and types of the measured biometric information,and transform the measured biometric information into the determinedvisual metaphor representation; and a display unit configured to providethe transformed visual metaphor representation.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to generate animage in which the visual metaphor representation is reflected on anobject visualizing the body part to identify the health condition,wherein the display unit is configured to provide the measured biometricinformation by displaying the generated image.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 10, further comprising a transmitting unit configured to transmitthe generated image on which the biometric information has beendisplayed to an external device through a network.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to process thebiometric information based on profile information of the user.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the display unit includes a control unitconfigured to adjust strength of a stimulus applied to the body partaccording to the biometric information.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9,wherein the display unit includes a control unit configured to select animage in which the biometric information is to be reflected from among aplurality of images obtained by photographing the body part.
 15. Theapparatus of claim 9, further comprising a receiving unit configured toreceive an image in which the biometric information is to be reflected,wherein the received image is obtained by photographing the body partfrom an external device connected to the apparatus through a network.16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the biometric information includesone of electrocardiogram information, electroencephalogram information,stress level information, bone mineral density information, body massindex information, calories burned information, and physical ageinformation.
 17. A non-transitory recording medium having embodiedthereon a program for executing a method of providing information, themethod comprising: measuring biometric information corresponding to ahealth condition of a body part of a user; determining a visual metaphorrepresentation for characterizing a degree of the health condition basedon mapping information between components of the visual metaphorrepresentation and types of the measured biometric information;transforming the measured biometric information into the determinedvisual metaphor representation; and providing the transformed visualmetaphor representation.